Filed under: Internet, E-mail, Microsoft
Microsoft to kill Hotmail Outlook Express support
The move isn't really intended to inconvenience Outlook Express users. It's just that Outlook Express uses outdated protocols. Windows Live Mail is available as a free download, and it supports POP3 and IMAP as well as DeltaSynch. Microsoft says the new protocol does a better job of handling large email inboxes since it allows your email client just to download changes since the last synch instead of grabbing every single header, as DAV does.
While it's possible to add DeltaSynch support to Outlook Express, Microsoft decided it would be easier to push its new email client. Or you could always just access your webmail services like Hotmail through the web interface. Do you still use a desktop email client, and if so which one do you use?
[via LiveSide]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Vipralion said 6:46PM on 4-18-2008
In an article talking about Microsoft closing off support for Hotmail in Outlook Express and pushing Windows Live Mail you include a poll asking which desktop mail client do you use, if you happen to use one, yet neglect to include none other than Windows Live Mail as an option?
O_o
My vote for Other, namely Windows Live Mail.
:D
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Brad Linder said 6:47PM on 4-18-2008
Whoops. I knew I forgot something. I'll see if I can update the poll.
teqjack said 6:59PM on 4-18-2008
I can't find the "none" button.
I leave the stuff where it belongs, on someone else's hard drives.
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Quikboy said 10:57PM on 4-18-2008
OE Express is really awful crud from what I've seen. It's a good thing to move users over to WLMail instead.
WLMail has a way better interface, RSS feeds, better e-mail composing options, and of course works great with Hotmail and other Live stuff MS does. Plus it will always get update, where OE Express is just plain old.
At least this shows that MS still cares and won't leave their users in the dusts.
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NewtonHeath said 11:25PM on 4-18-2008
I use google apps to host my domain for my email. Just stuff for me and wife and some other relatives. I live in the US but the rest of my family is in the UK. When over there good luck accessing a US based and cached email account on yahoo and gmail. The only way I could access mine was through IMAP. My wife was out of luck because she hadnt enabled IMAP. Yahoo figured we weren't in the US and tried to recache in Europe but it never managed. My father uses an account on the same domain but as he lives there his works flawlessly. Anyways, just a long ramble to say I use email on iPhone and mac when I have to.
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Bufsabre said 1:12AM on 4-19-2008
nothing wrong with thunderbird with the webmail plugins
http://webmail.mozdev.org/
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The_Steven said 1:21AM on 4-19-2008
I've been using Hotmail since before M$ took them over... Remember HoTMaiL? The only good thing about M$ buying them out was the OE connection. I seem to remember some years ago M$ started a policy where "new accounts" wouldn't be able to use the OE connection unless they had a "plus" (pay) account.
Well that does it, I'm going over to Thunderbird and Gmail full time. Šçřěщ Ұσύ МЇĉŕőşőғť.
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Quikboy said 2:22AM on 4-19-2008
I'm guessing you're the kinda person that likes to live in the past?
Live Hotmail accounts work in Windows Live Mail for FREE, or you can get the Outlook Connecter for FREE. Either ways, it's FREE. This move will pretty much phase out OE, and all the problems associated with it.
Nice touch on the $. I mean, MS isn't a company, right?
rickhamilton620 said 1:45AM on 4-19-2008
Well I used Thunderbird for a while before switching to outlook 07 because it came with the version of office I bought. IMO, I was better off with Thunderbird.
Outlook's just flaky, at least for e-mail, it crashes and stalls frequently, the desktop "Pop Up" alerts for new mail only work for the "default" POP3 mail account (the "set as default" button is handily grayed out when I try to set my IMAP AOL account as default.) In Thunderbird these alerts worked for every account, no problem.
To add insult to injury, I installed the "Windows Live Hotmail connector" to try and get my Hotmail in my Outlook inbox. Guess what? Absolutely nothing happens, it syncronizes with the hotmail server yet nothing actually gets downloaded to my computer-all I see in outlook is an empty hotmail inbox!
Not to mention that it asks this question everytime I open a message, select the option to view the pictures within, and then attempt to close the window- "The contents of this message has changed, do you want to save those changes?" Seriously, does anyone here know how to turn this crap off?
What an absolute waste of my time
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Kat2 said 9:11AM on 4-19-2008
I like getting my Gmail through Thunderbird. I just like having a desktop client, but I have all the convenience of checking my mail online when I'm away from home.
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las6 said 9:12AM on 4-19-2008
There's just a tiny problem with this ... windows live mail doesn't install to half of the machines I own!
Windows Mail does work, though, but is it getting the same treatment as OE?
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Navara said 9:12AM on 4-19-2008
Why bother with Outlook Express when you can migrate for free to eM Client with Calendar, Tasks and many other features...
http://www.emclient.com
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Rex said 9:13AM on 4-19-2008
Hi, you also forgot Opera!
I have thunderbird, evolution and kmail, but i still use opera, because its just easier to use it as your web and mail browser
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idodialog said 9:13AM on 4-19-2008
Well blow me down, as I write this over 50% of those responding to the poll use some form of desktop email client which comes from microsoft - this is why microsoft remains so powerful at every level - remembering that even when we are online hotmail/livemail way outscores gmail or whatever in usage.
It's still an MS world
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Mark said 12:42PM on 4-19-2008
I haven't used free e-mail in a long time.
Microsoft Outlook works so much better, especially when using Microsoft Exchange.
I would love nothing more than to use free software, since it's free, but it is just too nice having my mail, tasks, contacts, and appointments i enter into Outlook with Exchange instantly synchronize and appear on my HTC Tytn, and Laptop.
With the other software, I would have to synchronize with my laptop and desktop manually, and have to connect my phone to my computer to synchronize anything.
I could never go back to free e-mail accounts, or free e-mail software.
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Joe B said 6:51AM on 4-22-2008
Well, it's all nice that your experience with Exchange has gone well. I know that it can be very handy.
However, your comments seem to miss the point of this post. Most people with free e-mail either don't have access to Exchange servers or use them as personal accounts to keep things separate from their business e-mail. I like Outlook in the office, but I use a Mac at home. And in all honesty, even if I used a PC I would still stick to web-based e-mail, calendars, and task lists for personal items because it's significantly easier to check them from anywhere I happen to be. Including with my phone, because any respectable web app has a mobile version I can easily pull up without the need to keep my personal agenda and communication in a corporate space.
Insomnious said 7:26PM on 4-19-2008
I use Outlook simply for the fact it synchronises so easily and hassle-free with my Nokia N73 and PC Suite. After sorting out all my contacts and calender events while I had my Sony Ericsson k800, I managed to get everything onto my N73 in almost 5 minutes. I don't think I could stand having to re-type everything onto a new phone these days.
Plus, I use Outlook constantly at work so it's become second nature to use. Other than that, I'd prefer to check my email from an online account rather than through POP3.
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James said 11:58AM on 4-21-2008
Seriously, what possible reason could anybody have to use a desktop email client these days? I guess if you were like on dial-up or something, but that's a vanishingly small segment of the population (and probably about 1% of DLS readers). I would use IMAP for e.g. a cell phone or PDA, but that's not a "desktop" client. Am I missing some other factor?
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thai said 7:24PM on 4-21-2008
Windows Live Mail requires XP or higher OS.
In typical Microsoft fashion, if you try to install Windows Live Mail on an earlier OS, you get a cryptic message saying "Upgrade your Windows version". (Nice touch Bill.)
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CinciTech said 10:09PM on 4-21-2008
I prefer to have one place to access Hotmail, my own Exchange server (IMAP access) and an Exchange server for work. Got that in a webmail client that also doesn't require me to enter my passwords when I open it, and also doesn't time out on me?? I generally prefer OE over Outlook (03 and 07) because Outlook takes awhile to load its clunky interface, and crashes more often than OE.
For me, the argument for using OE is much like any MS product: it just works. No compile, no download, no install; it's there with the OS, I click through a few simple settings, and everything is set up faster than I can download a third party client. With MS phasing out OE for Hotmail, I'll have to download a client; so why pick Live over Thunderbird? It'll stay an MS world as long as MS holds the integration and simplicity card. Odd that they break the one big selling point they hold onto.
Nice earlier comment "(Nice job, Bill.)" He leaves the company and he's still credited with anything it does. 100 years from now in 2108 MS will come out with Windows UberVista-108 Deluxe, and people will still be cursing Gates' name whenever they find a bug. :D
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